Jobless Man Uncovers Gold Hoard with Metal Detector

Sky News ^ | 9-25-09

[Justaham]

An unemployed man has unearthed the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found with the help of his metal detector. Experts are now calculating its value—a process that could take more than a year because of its size.

Terry Herbert from Burntwood, Staffordshire, stumbled on the hoard in a private field with his trusty 14-year-old metal detector. Over five days in July, the 55-year-old dug up a fortune on the farmland near to his home. The find was declared as treasure by coroner Andrew Haigh, which means the cache will be offered for sale after it is valued.

See the treasures here Treasures!

[MEGoody]

Jobless Man Uncovers Gold Hoard with Metal Detector. . .

Obama administration sends IRS enforcers to seize wealth.

[Malsua]

Obama administration sends IRS enforcers to seize wealth.

Even 0 wouldn't claim property in England.

[American Constitutionalist]

I think this was found in England.

[ravingnutter]

Wow...that's an idea. My Hubby is unemployed. I told him about some clinical trials yesterday that were paying up to $1200 for participants and he [jokingly] accused me of trying to donate his body to science before he is even dead, LOL! He didn't like my idea of putting him on the street corner panhandling either. What am I going to do with him? {wink, wink}

[American Constitutionalist]

( Obama administration sends IRS enforcers to seize wealth. )

" Even 0 wouldn't claim property in England."

Unless he is a British citizen he can't claim any money or wealth that has gone unclaimed.

[Reddy]

A person may legally enter private property, dig something up and keep it?

Wow

[goseminoles]

They had to call the coroner in? Am I missing something?

[PugetSoundSoldier]

Even 0 wouldn't claim property in England.

Why not? He claimed to know what was constitutional in Honduras... Remember, he's the President of the World®!

Apologies to Mark Steyn for ripping off his title for Obama

[nina0113]

It has its own website:

http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/

[uscabjd]

What does the guy get for his efforts? How about the owner of the land?

[Jan_Sobieski]

Matthew 13:44 - Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found , he hideth , and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath , and buyeth that field.

Great Find! It reminds me of this story Jesus told in Matthew. To most of the world, this was a good-for-nothing field. But to the guy with the metal detector, and the new owner, the field is worth more than the whole world. In a similar way, most people see Jesus as just a good-for-nothing middle east prophet. But to those who know better, He is worth more than the whole world!

[WoofDog123]

Looks roughly to have been in Mercia - maybe related to Offa?

[Non-Sequitur]

What does the guy get for his efforts? How about the owner of the land?

Another article said that since the find was declared treasure then it becomes the property of the Crown. The artifacts will be assessed for value and then that amount will be split between the land owner and the guy who found it. Suffice it to say that both have become pretty rich individuals.

[WoofDog123]

“A person may legally enter private property, dig something up and keep it?”

You are saying the owner of the land cannot give permission to his friend to dig?

[DemonDeac]

“A person may legally enter private property, dig something up and keep it?

Wow”

As I understand it the find is technically the property of the state. The rules according to the radio are that the value of the property is split between the finder and the land owner.

[WoofDog123]

“The hoard contains in excess of 1500 objects made from various metals - 5kg of gold and 1.3kg of silver - by contrast the Sutton Hoo find contained 1.66kg of precious metals.”

Just stunning.

[WoofDog123]

http://www.staffordshirehoard.org.uk/artefacts/gallery/?set=72157622378376316

Huge number of photos, with option to see in silly-big high-rez.

[El Sordo]

Wouldn't you just love to know the story of how it got there?

A hunted noble burying his legacy? A bandit hiding loot while fleeing from the sheriff? A trunk falling off a royal’s carriage and being found by a peasant? Rebels? Invader?

Speculation is so much fun.

[WoofDog123]

I was just about to post something along those lines. I don’t know but assume this hoard had to be royalty (either stolen from them or buried by them), which leads to question of if any Mercian kings and heirs were killed suddenly inthe 7th century (is this even known for sure?). If not, then this being stolen from same and buried by one who would not return to get it seems possible too. It would be nice to have some perspective on what the value of 5kg of spectacularly worked gold etc and all the other stuff was worth in early saxon england. How much would an entire kingdom (mercia, say) be worth then?